[Correction: I called Freda Poundstone a former state lawmaker, which she was not. Also, she was a proponent of Proposition 101, not Amendment 61. However, Prop 101, like 61, was also one of the so-called Ugly Three and was similarly reviled by many Republicans. My apologies on both these errors.]
She stopped Denver in its tracks in the 1970s and struck a mighty blow to Dan Maes’ campaign for governor last year.
Now, Freda Poundstone, a longtime conservative activist,
former state lawmaker and mayor of Greenwood Village, has died at the age of 84.
“For someone who was so petite, she was really a giant in terms of her personality and the impact she had on Colorado,” said Republican political strategist Katy Atkinson.
“It’s hard to imagine someone who had a bigger impact on public policy in Colorado than Freda Poundstone did over six decades,” said former Colorado Republican Party Chairman Dick Wadhams.
Poundstone in 1974 led the fight to pass the Poundstone Amendment, which prevented cities from annexing other areas without the voter approval of those being annexed. The amendment halted what likely would have been court-ordered busing of students from Denver to schools in newly annexed areas, but it also made it much harder for Denver to expand its borders.
“It made government much more local,” Atkinson said. “You had your own city. You had local government that was much closer to you.”